Museums · Medellín · Colombia
5 best museums in Medellín
The collections worth your time, how long each takes and how to fit them together.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: ALONSOZAR, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Start with Museo de Antioquia, Parque Explora and Museo Casa de la Memoria. Together the 5 picks below take roughly 9–10 hours across 4 areas; 1 is free.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 5
- Free entry
- 1
- Time to see them all
- 9–10 hours
- Areas
- Centro, Aranjuez and Ciudad del Río
Museums in Medellín
Museum · Centro
1.Museo de Antioquia
Housed in a 1930s art deco building that was once the city hall, the museum holds a large collection of Botero's paintings and sculptures alongside his private collection, pre-Columbian pieces and Colombian art from colonial times to the present.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- History
- Rainy day
- Iconic
Museum · Aranjuez
2.Parque Explora
A large interactive science museum with hands-on rooms, a freshwater aquarium focused on Amazon and Colombian species, and a vivarium of reptiles and amphibians.
- Time needed
- 3–4 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
Museum · Centro
3.Museo Casa de la Memoria
This museum near Parque Bicentenario tells the story of the armed conflict in Medellín and Colombia through testimonies, photographs and multimedia exhibits, with a focus on victims and reconciliation.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Free
- History
- Free
- Rainy day
Gallery · Ciudad del Río
4.Museo de Arte Moderno de Medellín
MAMM occupies a converted steel works in the Ciudad del Río district, showing Colombian and Latin American contemporary art and a collection of works by Medellín painter Débora Arango.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Rainy day
Museum · El Poblado
5.Museo El Castillo
A 1930s castle-style mansion in the hills of El Poblado, filled with European furniture and decorative art and surrounded by formal gardens with fountains.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Architecture
- History
- Couples
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Centro | Museo de Antioquia and Museo Casa de la Memoria | 2 hours + 1.5 hours |
| Aranjuez | Parque Explora | 3–4 hours |
| Ciudad del Río | Museo de Arte Moderno de Medellín | 1.5 hours |
| El Poblado | Museo El Castillo | 1 hour |
Booking and timing
Of these 5, 1 free, 4 mid-priced. None needs booking far in advance. The longest visit is Parque Explora; group the rest by area to save travel time.
How to fit them into 3 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Centro): Museo de Antioquia → Museo Casa de la Memoria, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Aranjuez): Parque Explora, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 3 (Ciudad del Río and El Poblado): Museo de Arte Moderno de Medellín → Museo El Castillo, at least 3 hours.
The quietest months for queues
- September: highs of 28°C (82°F), about 18 rainy days, quiet crowds. Rain picks up again; a quiet, good-value month.
- May: highs of 28°C (82°F), about 21 rainy days, quiet crowds. Rainy afternoons and green hills; fewer visitors and good hotel prices.
- October: highs of 27°C (81°F), about 21 rainy days, quiet crowds. Among the wettest months, with heavy afternoon storms; plan museum visits for the afternoon.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- El Poblado — Upscale, leafy hillside district of hotels, malls and the Parque Lleras nightlife
- Centro — Downtown streets, markets and museums around Plaza Botero and Parque Berrío
More of Medellín
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Medellín?
Museo de Antioquia. Housed in a 1930s art deco building that was once the city hall, the museum holds a large collection of Botero's paintings and sculptures alongside his private collection, pre-Columbian pieces and Colombian art from colonial times to the present.
+Which of these are free in Medellín?
Museo Casa de la Memoria.